The Sterilization of Greek Slaves (?)

[docoflove1974]

I was watching a program last week on History International, which 'detailed' (as only a 1 hour show can) aspects of politics and society in Athens, and focused particularly on the pre-democratic days leading up to and the early years of the democracy. By and large, the program was good for minor details about life, and was one I would recommend to most; plus, it was 'hosted' by a female Classics history professor (British lass...Bethany something? Don't quote me.). But there was one detail that caught me off-guard: the Greeks (and it was stated as such, not just Athenians) "sterilized" their slaves. I'm guessing they're talking about the eunuchs...right? If so...I still have questions about this:

 

1) Is this true? To what extent were slaves castrated/sterilized?

 

2) Why would they do this? My thought was the obvious: they didn't want the slaves to procreate...although that doesn't quite make sense to me on the onset, as I would think that the procreation of slaves, thus creating more slaves, would be a good thing. But maybe I have the perspective wrong.

 

3) Was this "sterilization" practiced by other cultures of the time? Or was this something unique to the Greeks?

 

Thanks!

[Klingan]

I have never heard of that and to be honest it sounds very very strange. How early are we talking about here?

[Nephele]

I have never heard of that and to be honest it sounds very very strange. How early are we talking about here?

 

I have to say, DoL, that's a new one on me, too, although I'll admit that my familiarity with ancient Greek social life is mostly with that of the 4th century BCE.

 

One of my favorite books on the subject is William Stearns Davis' A Day in Old Athens. Published in 1914, this book by University of Minnesota's Professor of Ancient History describes "what an intelligent person would see and hear in ancient Athens, if by some legerdemain he were translated to the fourth century B.C. and conducted about the city under competent guidance." (Davis is also the author of a A Day in Old Rome.)

 

According to W.S. Davis, slaves in the city of Athens of the 4th century BCE, for the most part, had a better deal than their counterparts in Rome a few centuries later. If a slave felt that his master had wronged him intolerably, he could seek sanctuary at the Temple of Theseus, where he would have the privilege of being sold to a new (and hopefully more reasonable) master. Davis also quotes Aristotle, who advised slave-masters to hold open the hope of eventual freedom for their slaves, in order to inspire their slaves to work better in their masters' interests. Additionally, there were "city slaves" -- called Demosioi -- who were sort of like public servants communally owned by the Athenian citizens. These slaves served as clerks in the treasury office, checking officers at public assemblies, public executioners, coin minters, and even made up Athens' police force, and their position was viewed as enviable by those slaves who worked in factories or even as house servants.

 

I see you wrote that the program you watched "focused particularly on the pre-democratic days leading up to and the early years of the democracy," and it seems that period of time would have preceded the events written about in Davis' book (which makes no mention at all of Athenians "sterilizing" their slaves). Was the program's intention perhaps to show how the birth and development of Athenian democracy led to improved treatment for Athens' slave population?

 

-- Nephele

[docoflove1974]

Like I said, it didn't quite sit right with me...hence my asking.

 

I goofed...I thought it was on the History channel group, but it was on PBS instead; here is the webpage for the program.

 

Like I said earlier, I had no real problem with the program, and overall it is one I'd say is not usually 'sensationalist' or over-simplified, the way some History Channel programs have become lately. But that one blip about slaves really didn't sound right.

 

Also...I know that eunuchs were slaves...but were all slaves eunuchs?

[Lost_Warrior]

I haven't heard of it either.

 

One *possibility* for why it would be done would be if the master of the house did not want the male slaves having relations with his wife or daughters. That was MY first thought. I believe that this was done in one of the Eastern cultures (I forget which one.) at least, in the house of the Emperor, for this very reason: the Emperor's personal servants were eunuchs, because that way they would stay away from the Empress...and the harem.

[Kosmo]

Greeks despised eunuchs. This was a asiatic custom, mainly from Caucasus, and was badly seen thruout most european history being asociated with Persia. It was spreaded during hellenistic, roman and, especially byzantine times (like Narses), but not in Classical Greece.

The main use of eunuchs was house servants (because they could guard women faithfully) and later in public offices (because was presumed that having no children they will be less likely to abuse office or rebel)

I never heard any mention of eunuchs in Classical Greece.

In China they were used a lot for those reasons and sometimes enjoyed a lot of power.